February 2. Las Candelas

It was the Jewish custom to present newborn children in the temple in Jerusalem. Therefore, the Virgin Mary took the child in her arms and brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the temple.

It was the feast dedicated to Mother Earth and heralded the imminent passage to another season and with it the end of winter.

Once this festivity was celebrated, there was a popular saying:“En llegando San Antón Carrestoliénda son” and this meant the beginning of the jokes that foreshadowed the coming carnival, which gave way to Lent and with it the end of the spring festivities.

Events
RELIGIOUS

It was celebrated on February 2nd. The godmother, who was accompanied by four female officers, took part in the ceremony. The godmother offered a pair of turtledoves, a candelilla thread that was decorated, and a candle.

Candelilla is made with flour, milk, eggs and oil, in the right proportions. The resulting paste is separated into small portions and stretched on a smooth surface to form bars; the thinner they are, the more colorful the candelilla is. Fry them over low heat so that they are tender, cut them into centimeter portions, wrap them in very whipped liquid honey, shape them into doughnuts and decorate them with confetti and aniseed balls.

After mass, the procession passed through the main streets, in front of the Virgin went the godmother, with the offering (candelilla, candle and the two turtledoves) on a silver tray and the other gifts carried by her four officials, all in black dress, mantilla and tile.

The procession was from the Church to the Plaza, and back to the Church. Then the Virgin was placed in the baptismal font and the godmother and her four officers followed in procession behind to the altar, where the first song was sung: “Forty days ago today the Divine Word was born in Bethlehem in a portal among the straw and hay”. And then they sang: “The godmother goes in front handing out jam, and the children go around saying Oh what a queen, oh what a sweetness!

MORE EVENTS